FOREVER KNIGHT 
Editor Stuart Moore is enjoying life atop the Marvel Knights empire. 
by Russell Lissau - 2-28-01
Contributing Writer 
The Knights of the Round Table had King Arthur to lead them; the Marvel Knights have editor Stuart Moore. Last fall, after nearly a decade at DC Comics and its "mature readers" line, Vertigo, Moore hooked up with cross-town rival Marvel, recruited by new editor in chief (and former MK boss) Joe Quesada. After spending a few months getting his feet wet and learning how do to things the Marvel Knights way, Moore is excited about what the future holds for the line. Some big projects are on the horizon, including new books starring Ghost Rider, the Punisher and Elektra. And who knows - maybe Moore can even get "Daredevil" back on a monthly schedule! 

RUSSELL LISSAU: Why did you start working in comics? 

STUART MOORE: I spent seven years at (mainstream publisher) St. Martin's Press, where I edited a variety of books: science fiction; mysteries; pop culture; humor. In 1990, DC placed an ad in Publishers Weekly looking for an editor from outside the field. I've always read comics and followed the field, and I'd edited some collections of strips and comics-related books. It was a good match. When I got to DC, (editor) Karen Berger handed me "Swamp Thing," which she felt needed a new perspective after the Alan Moore run and the Rick Veitch resignation. "Hellblazer" followed pretty quickly. But I think the first thing I really set up a new team on was "Doctor Fate," which I have fond memories of, but which never sold terribly well. 

RL: Did you ever think you'd be running your own imprint at Marvel one day? 

SM: If you'd told me six months ago I'd be working at Marvel, I'd have laughed you off the Internet. I've never felt in synch with the company's goals. But it's all changed. (Marvel president) Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada are sharp, sharp guys. They don't want to lose the company's strengths, which are huge, but they want the books to be better written and more accessible, and to try other genres. 

RL: How long did you work at DC, and in what capacity? 

SM: I came on in 1990 as an editor. At that time the mandates of the various editorial groups were kind of fuzzy; we were all doing superheroes, but some of us were doing more of other things, too. Around 1992 or 1993, when we started Vertigo, the lines became clearer. That was good and bad; everyone's job was clearer, and there were fewer continuity problems, but it sort of locked you in a little too. At the time, Vertigo was so exciting that it didn't matter. A few years later, I started the Helix imprint. I knew (DC publisher) Paul Levitz had wanted a science fiction imprint, and it's a particular interest of mine. The market wasn't too friendly, and in retrospect there are a lot of things I'd do differently about the launch, in particular - we wound up with more of the deeper, heady projects right up front, while the adventure-oriented ones took longer to produce, so the imprint looked too much like Vertigo at the beginning. But we got some good stuff out of it, including Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson's "Transmetropolitan," which moved over to Vertigo and at this point is probably one of that imprint's longest-running titles. I edited some more Vertigo work after Helix ended, a lot of it "Books of Magic"-related. I was pretty proud of "The Trenchcoat Brigade." 

RL: What did you like about working at Vertigo? What made it different from the rest of the DCU for you, and from the rest of comicdom? 

SM: Vertigo is very much its own shop - kind of the way Marvel Knights is, though more integrated within DC's business practices. It's always been a great batch of people; I can't think of anyone there whom I've ever disliked. And at the beginning especially, we really did have a sense of pushing the medium. I don't like to make too many grand claims here; there's lots of incredible stuff that houses like Fantagraphics publish that Vertigo couldn't. But the emphasis on having writers experiment, on starting with the mainstream comics form and pulling it out in all different directions, was very exciting. We also had a nice freedom to build writers and artists slowly. You probably wouldn't have had "Preacher" if Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon hadn't done "Hellblazer" for so long. 

RL: Why did you leave Vertigo? 

SM: I left in July 1999. At the time I was involved in a startup of a comics/multimedia/Hollywood company that ultimately didn't all come together. But I was also finding myself more and more at odds with my superiors' goals for the Vertigo imprint. I've always promised myself I'll never stay in a job, getting bitter and sinking down further into my chair, just for a paycheck; I left St. Martin's at the top of my game, because the DC thing was so fascinating. At DC, it was more of a sense that nine years was enough. And it was unquestionably the right thing to do. 

RL: How were your approached for the Marvel Knights job? 

SM: I was immediately intrigued when I heard the news about Joe Quesada getting the (editor in chief) job. I left him a phone message - just "Good luck, and if you ever want to talk…" - but I knew he was up to his elbows. Everyone assumed Axel Alonso was going over to the Knights position, but they really wanted him smack in the middle of Marvel. Richard Starkings, the hidden master of the comics industry, recommended me strongly to Joe; I think Joe then called several writers and artists who must have said nice things about me. It all happened very fast. 

RL: Why was going to Marvel Knights right for you? 

SM: I did have a little trepidation about jumping back into the comics industry, which, in all honesty, can be a bit wearing after a while. But it's been great. The enthusiasm at Marvel is huge, and Joe and Bill really understand what the company's done wrong in the past. And the Knights position is set up so I can still do other things, like my freelance writing. Knights is not set up quite like any other editorial office; (fellow Knights editor) Nanci Dakesian and her assistant, Kelly Lamy, do a lot of what might traditionally be considered the follow-up part of an editor's job. We've all had to pitch in here and there since Nanci had her baby recently. But that's worked out wonderfully. 

RL: What did Marvel Knights do well before you got there, and what are you trying to continue from the previous regime? Conversely, what did it do wrong, and what will you try to improve? 

SM: The Knights formula is fairly simple: Pay top creators well and treat them straight - leaving them alone for the most part. The second part of that is crucial; when the imprint started, it had a great advantage over both Marvel and DC in just cutting through bureaucracy. Both Joe Quesada and his former partner, Jimmy Palmiotti, are primarily artists, and the artistic quality of the imprint has always been high. The writing's also been great, but unpolished in spots; that's a strength of mine, so I'm working on that. I also want to plan a little further ahead to avoid some of the scheduling problems the imprint has had; we've now got a longer commitment from Marvel, so that will help. Looking at it another way, Knights has always done what DC started to do in the late '80s and then, rather deliberately, backed away from: publish more sophisticated, edgier versions of Marvel characters. Fans love that, and with Joe in charge of all Marvel, I have a bit more freedom to play with all the Marvel characters than he had when Knights started. 

RL: Who are your favorite current Marvel Knights creators? 

SM: I don't like to pick favorites, but it's very nice to be working with Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon again. Though they really don't need me - they know exactly what they're doing. 

RL: Who do you want to bring to MK who's not aboard yet? 

SM: I prefer not to be specific, but in general, if someone's got a distinctive voice in the field, I'd love to do something with them. We have a lot of freedom to do one-shots, short miniseries, etc. There's usually a way to fit someone in. Guys like Joe Linsner and David Mack have done beautiful work with Knights without giving up their own, original books. 

RL: Has it been hard following Joe Quesada as MK boss, especially since his wife is working alongside you? 


Stuart Moore sits in his office at Marvel Comics. 
SM: It's been remarkably easy. Joe and Nanci are absolutely terrific to work with; they trust me, and we all respect each other. Sometimes I'll defer to Joe on something and Nanci will decide to go argue the point with him, on the imprint's behalf! But beyond that, Joe's primary concerns are the characters, which he's the real guardian of now, and the art, which is his area of expertise. I'm still working with a lot of creative teams that he put together for the line, but I can't argue with that - they're great creative teams. 

RL: An important question: What's up with "Daredevil?" If this is the line's flagship title, how can it be so late? What are you going to do to get DD back on a monthly schedule? 

SM: I'll answer these together. I realize the "Daredevil" situation has been frustrating; I can finally announce that we're back on track. Issue #14 was finished - very well - by Dave Ross, who also finished penciling #15. Issues #16-19 are the Brian Bendis/David Mack storyline; the first two parts of that are finished, and I think David's just about wrapping up #18. After that, a very exciting new creative team comes on board. So while it's dangerous to promise these things, I'm quite confident we'll have twelve issues of "Daredevil" out in 2001. Beginning in January, there should be one issue per month. I'm not going to guarantee it with my life, but I don't see any reason why it won't happen. 

RL: When I last spoke with Joe, he said there might be a Kevin Smith-written "Daredevil" hardcover. What's new there? 

SM: That's a speculative project at this point. Both Kevin and Joe want to do it, but they're both insanely busy. Obviously I'll be happy to stick my nose in and "ooh" and "ah" over the pages whenever it comes about. 

RL: Last question: What haven't we covered that you'd like to let readers know? 

SM: There's a lot of understandable suspicion about Marvel based on its history over the past 10 years or so, and I know a lot of people wonder why editors like Axel Alonso and me would jump on board a company like that. All I can say is that so far it's an incredibly gratifying experience. We're doing exciting things, we're doing them fast, and it's just so nice to be working at a place where your bosses' first instinct is to trust you. The proof, of course, will be the books, and by spring you'll really see the results we've all been working toward.

Jousting With Head Knight Stuart Moore

As news of Joe Quesada's promotion to editor-in-chief spread quicker than the Lovebug Virus, a question arose: "If Joe's moving into the Big Chair, who's going to take over MARVEL KNIGHTS?" The answer soon followed in a move that had industry insiders buzzing: Joe had gone fishing in our Distinguished Competition's waters...and reeled in some whoppers!

First, he brought in Axel Alonso -- the driving force behind Preacher, Hellblazer and 100 Bullets -- to revamp the Spidey line. (Hope you read my interview with him last week.) Joe's second catch? Stuart Moore! Not only did Stuart help found the Vertigo imprint, he's also forged strong ties to some of the hottest creators in the biz. Or as Joe says in the latest issue of Wizard: "His reputation is just amazing. The basic job of the MARVEL KNIGHTS editor is that of a recruiter to bring in new talent. You go through the freelance community, and nobody has a bad word to say about him. He's got great ideas; he's a wonderful story editor."

As soon as this sizzlin' piece of news was released, questions again surfaced. Namely, what did Stuart have in store for Daredevil and company...and what new creators would he welcome to the Castle of Concepts? Being the card-carrying fanboy I am, I wanted to know, too. But with his phone ringing off the hook, Stuart was harder to reach than a PlayStation 2! So I rolled up my sleeves, knocked on his door and followed the advice of Springfield's own Mayor "Diamond" Joe Quimby: "Bribe 'em!" And whaddya know? It worked!

YM@M: How long have you been reading comics? What other sorts of stuff (movies, books, magazines, video games, music, etc.) are you into?

Stuart: I still have a comic book I got when I was 5. That's probably as far back as it goes. I'm into a variety of fringe cultures, ranging from science fiction (which I've edited) to '50s hardboiled fiction to trippy conspiracy-theory stuff. Can't play video games to save my life, but I like pinball -- and I'm kind of a Mac computer addict. Music: Beck, Prince...my wife kind of got me into funk music (bow wow wow yippee-yi yippee-yay).

YM@M: So how does it feel to be part of the new era dawning at the House?

Stuart: It's f'n great. (Sorry, thought I was back at Vertigo for a second.) Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas both clearly want to take things in new directions, and that's pretty exciting. They're both always coming up with ideas, pursuing creative people and really thinking through what Marvel should be doing next. I'm still feeling my way, but look for me to be running the whole show by January. (That's a joke, son!)

YM@M: What attracts you to: 1. Marvel Comics (the characters, the story style), and 2. Marvel Comics (the company)?

Stuart: When I was 16, a friend of mine sat me down and gave me huge stacks of all the great '70s Marvel Comics -- everything from AVENGERS to CAPTAIN AMERICA to DEFENDERS and DR. STRANGE, WARLOCK and KILLRAVEN, and MAN-THING and X-MEN. I was hooked. I'd never read comics like that. The kind of rebel spirit that led to books like that seems to me to have been missing from Marvel for a while, but MARVEL KNIGHTS is all about that. Hopefully, we can keep things fresh and exciting, and bring in people who can take the Marvel characters in directions nobody's ever thought of before.

YM@M: Do you have a favorite Marvel character? If so, why is that character your favorite?

Stuart: The original run of HOWARD THE DUCK is a favorite. I think it got me through age 15.

YM@M: Did you read the MARVEL KNIGHTS books before you came over to the House? If so, what was the "outside" view of what we were doing with these titles?

Stuart: I thought they were great. KNIGHTS is a line based on a very simple formula: Pay people well and treat them straight, and you'll get their best work. For instance, getting Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon -- whom I've worked with on Hellblazer and Preacher -- to do PUNISHER was a stroke of genius. The high sales on these titles show other people are into them, too.

If there's been a criticism of the KNIGHTS line, it's mostly been about lateness -- which refers mostly to DAREDEVIL. In a way, I'm glad people are complaining about it, because it shows they like the books. If we had late books that nobody cared about, you wouldn't hear a thing. But it's a problem we're addressing; there'll be a lot more DAREDEVIL in 2001 than there was in 2000.

YM@M: Which titles can't you wait to dig into?

Stuart: DAREDEVIL's going to be a challenge, since Joe isn't able to draw it monthly anymore. That book is our flagship, no doubt. We've been talking with some top-level creative people in the three weeks I've been here, so there are a lot of new projects I'm excited about that I can't talk about yet. Sorry!

YM@M: Without naming names, what sorts of characters and creators do you want to work with?

Stuart: I like the fringe characters -- the Killravens and Man-Things and Dr. Stranges -- which is exactly what the KNIGHTS imprint is built around. Grant Morrison's and J.G. Jones' MARVEL BOY and Paul Jenkins' and Jae Lee's SENTRY fit right into that mold. As for creators, anybody with a voice and a vision. I was just talking with a well-known comics writer/artist about doing a project involving some big Marvel characters, and we agreed there's no reason you can't write about these guys and still tell a story with something to say -- some depth to it, some new character angle. That's what Marvel was built on, and that's what it has to keep doing if it's going to continue to grow and prosper.

YM@M: OK, naming names, whom do you want to work with?

Stuart: A lot of them are already working with KNIGHTS; it's a terrific creative lineup. I'm paranoid about naming more names -- because as soon as you do, it's out on the Internet: "Stuart Moore says they're doing a book with Umberto Eco!" But trust me, there's a lot of cool stuff coming. We've got two new projects going with Grant Morrison and some wild new stuff with Brian Bendis, and the weirdest is yet to come.

YM@M: Hmmm...can't wait to read that comic by Umberto! OK, fill in the blanks: If I could publish one MARVEL KNIGHTS title that hasn't been done before, it would star _____ , be written by _____ and be drawn by _____.

Stuart: I really want to do MAN-THING and DR. STRANGE at some point. As for the creative teams, the crystal ball is still cloudy!

YM@M: Cheater. Alright, let's finish with the question all comicdom has been waiting to have answered: Who's cooler, US1 or Rocket Raccoon?

Stuart: Put a big steel plate in Rocket Raccoon's head, and there'd be no stopping him. Ten-four and out!

YM@M: Thanks, good buddy! Keep on truckin'!

Originally reported by "Your Man At Marvel"